Lake living

One of the benefits of living on a lake AND having a great Daddy is a nice long wagon ride with no one to get in your way...

The kids had a blast and for anyone who is worried about the ice, it is VERY thick. We watched a minivan drive by on it the other day. I am beyond a worrier and was fine with them being out there, well maybe not as far out as they were in the last picture, but I was okay with the rest of it.

On another note, I am going to try to post a picture every day during the month of February. We will see if I can keep it up. I think I will be able to get the picture taken but uploading and posting it will be a whole other story. I was also thinking of trying to add in a new accomplishment or something cute they have said or done too. Not so much for the people who read here but for me :). There are a million things that happen in the day that I always hope to remember but know I will forget a month from now. I think I better end this post before I make any more creative commitments that I won't be able to keep. Stay tuned for our first pic of the month tomorrow!

Boys, boys, boys

Apparently clothing is not necessary when you are a two year old boy.
Neither are diapers.

If I am not involved in the constant entertainment of my toddlers there is bound to be clothes and diapers flying. This would not be so bad if a)the flying diaper was dry b)the diaper flinger decided to go in the potty once the diaper has been launched c)the little streaker would nap first and then take off his clothes rather than the other way around which results in NO nap for anyone.

I am learning quickly that just because he leaves behind a dry diaper that does not mean that you have avoided disaster it just means that you have to start searching for what should never have made it out of the diaper in the first place. Yuck, I am having flashbacks of all of my cleaning episodes as I type.

Is this what little boys do or just mine? If so how long is it going to last AND has anyone found a good way to keep everything from flying at least during nap time?

Good thing he is so cute.

The P's

I mentioned in a recent post that I would have to explain the P words around our house so here is goes...

Ever since Parker and McKenna started talking they have had their own series of names for each other.
First is was Parper and Parper (no one's name was McKenna)
Next it was Parker and Parker (still no McKenna). This phase went on for a long time, so long that Mark and I were wondering if they would be the first set of multiples to head to kindergarten insisting that they had the same name.
We have now graduated to Parker and Penna. So at least the girl has her own name plus every once in a while we get lucky and Parker will squeeze in an M, calling her MaPenna. We are on our way, identity crisis in kindergarten avoided.
So lately we have been working on clapping their hands while I say the letters of their names. McKenna is catching on quickly, clapping with each letter and can often be seen walking around the house practicing. Parker, on the other hand, when left unassisted, claps his hands like a wild man saying "P-A-R-P-A-R" and any other letters that he decides to throw in and of course cheers for himself immediately. All of McKenna's practicing is paying off though because she can now do it on her own. She comes up to me very proudly and claps while she says "M-C-K-E-N-N-P" and there is that P again. It is always somewhere. No matter how many times I do it with her she puts the P in every single time.

I had to blog about the P phenomenon because it is one of those little things that I hope to always remember, especially when they are big and grown and not so inseparable anymore.

Polar Plunge

My brother Kyle and his fiance are doing the Polar Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics (think freezing water + January weather in your bathing suit+ a bunch of other crazy people willing to do the same for a great cause). We are in love with Special Olympics in our house, Ashlyn participates in every program she possibly can. She plays soccer, just started swimming, is anxiously awaiting track and field and counting the days until she is old enough to play basketball. Special Olympics is an amazing organization that gives so many kids and adults the chance to participate in programs that they may otherwise never be a part of. Please think of donating if you can. Click here to visit his donation page.

Thanks so much for doing this Kyle and Aubrey, we love you!!!

Arts and Crafts

I feel like I never have time to do all of the crafty little projects I imagined I would be doing with 2 year-olds so yesterday I was determined to fit in something that resembled a project. I had big visions of a handprint project until the baby woke up early from nap. So, trying to salvage some sort of craft while entertaining a fussy baby, I threw some crayons their way and let them at it a stack of paper plates. I did manage to trace their hands and write their names and dates on the plates so we had something to show for our work.

They sat at their little table and McKenna colored so softly you could barely see the marks on her plate. Parker scribbled like crazy and then broke each and every crayon. I tried everything to get him to stop, taking the crayons away, giving him one at a time, only letting him use the ones he broke but ultimately he wasn't satisfied until every crayon in sight was in at least two pieces. I finally asked him why we was breaking the crayons and he said "one for Parker one for Penna." My sweet boy. (Penna= McKenna, everything has a "P" in it with these two, another post for another day)

So after dinner, feeling overconfident because we managed to do one semi-craft today I decided to break out the pudding for some finger painting. Ashlyn managed doling out the pudding and the kids had a blast. They actually made much less of a mess than I thought they would. There is no food-flinging when pudding is involved. Every glop that is not on paper goes directly in the mouth. I think Ashlyn was getting nervous as the pudding supply diminished because they were very clear in their demands for "more, more, more!"

I won't be winning an award anytime soon for being the worlds most creative Mommy but I did manage to get almost everyone involved in the same activity... no one whined, no one asked to head back to their computer and Sawyer just sat happily on my hip waiting to get big like everyone else.

Ashlyn spooning out the goods

McKenna hard at work

My favorite, such a look of concentration for someone who has been obviously eating his supplies

Memoir of a Teenager

Ashlyn had to create a memoir for her Language Arts class at school. Her assignment was to select a memorable event in her life and I have to say I was a bit worried when she chose the birth of the triplets and losing Hadley. Picking this topic meant that we were going to be doing a lot of talking about what happened during my pregnancy and after and I wasn't sure if I was up for that.

Ultimately, it ended up being a great experience for us both. It gave Ashlyn a chance to ask me questions about things that are not always easy to talk about and it gave me a chance to share with her all of my memories, the good and the bad. Her memoir turned out beautifully and we decided to work together on summarizing it and turning it into a slide show. She did an amazing job.

I love you Ashlyn and am so proud of you!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

7 months already

My amazing little rainbow baby is 7 months old today.

Now if I could only find a way to slow down time so that I can make this precious time of having a baby in the house last a little longer. Except for on those days when no one will nap and I'm lucky to even brush my teeth... time could go a little faster on those days :)
Love you little man!

Thinking of Ari

One year ago today a woman who has given me an amazing amount of support and grown to be a very close friend, found out she had lost her little boy. If you have a minute (and some kleenex) read Ari's story, hug your kids and honor his memory today.

Wordless Wednesday

Back to just Mommy

Today is my first day back with the kids on my own after having Mark home for two weeks. I am always amazed that it is still wild around here even with two of us managing the crazies but I did get spoiled by the little things like nursing the baby without toddlers climbing on my head and running errands at nap time, oh and having someone over the age of two to talk to during the day, that was nice too.

So this morning I woke up feeling great, full of patience and ready to get back to our old schedule that I was completely tired of before the Christmas break. My kids are loving each other today since they had time apart more often the last few weeks and when things start going down hill I just break out another new toy. So I am feeling totally on top of things right now which is good because I am taking everyone to the doctors ON MY OWN after nap time. I will take any good thoughts, prayers, luck that you can send my way. Last time we went McKenna was so petrified she kept her head in the cabinet the whole time and Parker turned the lights off in the place.

My new favorite picture of my littlest man (cousin Nina is the cutie in the background)

In the "no"

Yesterday we pulled on the "no pants" and "no boots" and headed out to play in the "no". By we I mean Daddy and the kids. I came in and out to see how cute they were and put gloves back on 80 million times but am not a big fan of the whole cold, snow, wind thing so let Daddy have all the fun while Sawyer and I stayed warm. Big sister Ashlyn is spending time pretending she is an only child again at Nana and Papa's but could probably still hear the sounds of protest coming from our house when the kids had to come in from the "no." Why is it that when you have toddlers it is inevitable the most fun activities are going to end very ugly? Snow is now the latest word that we have to spell unless we are planning to gear up and head back out again right that moment.

Ready to go

Loving the cold

The Holiday

Christmas this year was amazing. Watching all of the kids experience Christmas in their own way was so much fun. Although I am still not good at looking in so many directions at once when the wrapping paper starts flying.

Parker had a great time opening "man stuff." I'm not sure who enjoyed his gifts more, Parker or Daddy.

McKenna, my girly girl, loved getting dolls and kitchen toys and shoes... she loved, loved, loved getting shoes. I can't wait for all of the shopping ahead of us!

Ashlyn is old enough to have figured it all out and be a great helper but still young enou

gh to not mind waking up at the crack of dawn to open gifts.

Sawyer, well he is just here and loving life... drooling and cooing his way through his first Christmas.

And of course there is always Hadley, who traveled in my heart through each and every Christmas memory.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Christmas morning and our family Christmas party:

Christmas jammies! This is the calmest picture we could get of all the little ones (for some reason I couldn't talk Ashlyn into wearing a pair).

Love the look on her face!

Parker and his favorite new toy, he didn't touch another gift once he opened this.

Ashlyn with her favorite present, a tool box full of art supplies.

Sawyer ready for the Christmas party

Parker, in nonstop movement at the Christmas party

McKenna looking pretty

Merry Christmas

I don't have enough energy left to post our holiday pictures so here is a quick "Merry Christmas" from the kids...

Finally #77

Two years ago today marked the last day we had to visit one of our children in the NICU. On his 77th day in intensive care my little Parker came home. Parker started life at 1 lb. 14 oz. and left the hospital barely over 4 lbs. To say he beat the odds is an understatement. Today he is an amazing little boy with endless energy and the sweetest, sweetest heart.

We love you so much Parker and will always remember what a fighter you were!

Daddy bringing Parker home, finally no more wires!

First time holding my babies at home

Parker today

Day 72

Two years ago today was day #72 in the NICU for Parker and McKenna. It was also the day that McKenna was finally able to come home. I keep looking at her today and thinking about how truly amazing it is that she was once a 2lb. 10oz. fragile preemie on a ventilator, struggling to survive.

I know just how lucky I am that she is here.

McKenna's first days home

McKenna today

Little of Everything

We had lots going on over the weekend and I'm way behind on posts so here it goes...

...we had a great visit with Uncle Rob, Aunt Sandy and our biggest blog fan, Cousin Caitlin.

Aunt Sandy, Parker showing off his signing to Uncle Rob and Caitlin with Sawyer

McKenna was there too but she is Ms. Shy so played in the hall with Parker, pretending we didn't have company.

...Ashlyn and I got to bring McKenna along to her first Christmas Candy-making with the girls at Aunt Marianne's house.

my girls

McKenna and her assistant

All of the candy-makers and our table of sugar

...and lastly, the tree is up. We debated on putting it up this year because the kids are crazy

into everything but we gave it a shot. We are going to try it without a baby gate since our kids have so much self control so the pictures below may be the only ones that show our tree with lights and ornaments.

Eyeing the tree..

and in for the kill.

Mmmm, the smell of an artificial tree.

My sweet little guy who can't get into a thing :)

My Rainbow Baby

I have been looking for the explanation of the term "rainbow baby" since Sawyer's birth. I was tossing ideas around in my head for his six month old post and stopped by a loss mom's blog and there it was...

In some circles, babies born to families after the loss of a child are referred to as "Rainbow Babies." The idea is that the baby is like a rainbow after a storm. "Rainbow Babies" is the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy and hope.Today my little rainbow baby is 6 months old. He has filled our lives with all kinds of beautiful colors, amazing light and lots and lots of hope.Love you little man!

No time to blog

It is 7 am and I am blogging now and blogging fast because this is the only time I have. No one is napping at the same time anymore and every minute of the kids' waking hours is spent taking our house apart. I honestly can not believe how much trouble my kids can get into. Nothing is safe. Is it because there is more than one 2 year-old mind working at all times? We have child-proofed everything and are now contemplating living in an empty house until this phase passes.
They pry off the door knob protectors.
Pull the plug covers out of the wall.
They can open the freezer and the fridge.
They can reach the lights, the countertops and playing in the bathroom is more fun than any water activity I could ever create.
Yesterday they discovered the switch that turns on the fireplace, very exciting.
AND we still haven't even put up the tree yet, I can only imagine what fun that will bring to our days.
BUT I did get to watch them witness the first snowfall yesterday and we all cheered Sawyer on while he tried to roll over and in between diaper changes and food flinging I get all the kisses, "wuv you" mommies and hugs I can handle.
Some day I will have all kinds of time to use the thousands of hours of comp time I have banked but for now there is no other job that provides such great benefits.
Sawyer is up, the mommy marathon begins...

Featured Blog

I'm very excited that our blog is featured today on Multiples and More. Click below to visit their amazing site and check out our interview.

A Picture Story

I dressed the boys in matching outfits over the weekend and since I could barely stand how cute they were I decided to try for a few pictures. So we put the boys in the picture chair but Parker started smiling goofy...McKenna decided she wanted in but wasn't wearing pants...I talked her in to wearing pants but by then Sawyer was finished.I took one or two smiling pics and then things got ugly...But somehow, between goofy smiles, wardrobe changes, a fussy baby and toddler Wrestlemania we caught...

LOVE.